Fishing rod holder

ABSTRACT

A fishing rod holder arranged to receive the butt end of a fishing rod and including a generally cylindrical tube having a closed bottom and an open top with mounting means at the base thereof to secure said holder to a stationary surface. The mounting means includes a ball, with the base of the tube having a socket formed therein, and with clamping means including a transversely mounted screw and a compression block, being provided at the base of the tube to lockingly retain the tube in predetermined disposition. The screw has relatively movable clamping members mounted thereon to urge the block towards the ball.

United States Patent 1191 Bystrom et al. Jan. 8, 1974 [54] FISHING 9HOLDER FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [761 lnvemmi Andrew 4901 722,45112/1931 France 287/87 Trillium Ln., Minneapolis, Minn. 55435; i 6106Primary ExaminerLouis G. Mancene Park. Mmneapohs Assistant ExaminerJames H. Czerwonky 55417 Attorney-.Orrin M. Haugen [22] Filed: Nov.- 13,1972 211 App]. No.: 306,367 [57-] ABSTRACT A fishing rod holder arrangedto receive the butt end of a fishing rod and including a generallycylindrical [:2] US. Cl. d3/2l.2,-248/42, 287/87 tube having a closedbottom and an open top with mounting means at the base thereof to secureledof earch holder to a stationary Surface The mounting means 248/42 27/87 includes a ball, with the base. of the tube having a i socketformed therein, and withclarnping means in- [56] References Cltedeluding a transversely mounted screw and a compres- UNITED STATESPATENTS sion block, being provided at the base of the tube to 1,013,7341/1912 Boyd 43/21.2 UX lockingly retain the tube in predetermineddisposition. 2,115,629 4/1938 Gurley.. 287/87 X The screw has relativelymovable clamping members 2,630,924 6/1954 M y--- 43/21 2 mounted thereonto urge the block towards the ball. 2,743,067 4/1956 Stratton 43/212 X3,409,317 ll/1968 Richards 287/87 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing FiguresPAIENIEBJAN 81974 SHEEI 2 BF FIG.4

FIG-.5

FIG.6

taining the butt end of the rod while working the reel v for the purposeof playing or landing the fish. These rod holders are normally securedto a stationary mounting base, such as, for example, the gunnel of theboat, the oarlock of a boat, or the like. In addition, rod holders mayfrequently be mounted upon a stationary surface such as a dock or thelike.

In the use of rod holders, the angler will frequently wish to adjust theposition of the holder depending upon the demands of the immediatesituation. The

number of persons in the immediate area, as well as the nature of theimmediate fishing situation may require controllable adjustment of theholder. Once the holder has been arranged in desired disposition, it islocked in place and rendered ready for use.

In the past, rod holders have been proposed which are either stationary,or, when adjustable, only adjustable with difficulty. The rod holder ofthe present invention is readily adjustable, and once secured, will notshift or move so as to permit uncontrolled release of the rod when it isplaced within the holder and a force applied to the rod. Suchuncontrolled release of the rod from the holder can result in loss ofthe fish, or, in some cases, loss of the equipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is a primary object of thepresent invention to provide an improved rod holder which may beadjustably locked in predetermined disposition.

It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide animproved rod holder for anglers which is readily adjustable in anydesired angular disposition relative to the mounting surface.

Other and further objects 'ofthe present invention will become apparentto those skilled in the art upon a study of the following specification,appended claims and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of therod holder of the present invention, with a portion of the structurebeing shown broken away to permit viewing a rod handle disposed withinthe holder;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device illustrated in FIG. 1, witha portion of the structure being diametrically cut away so as toillustrate portions in section, and with an optional holderconfiguration being shown in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view taken along the line and inthe direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of a portion only of a modified form ofmounting means, and with the struc ture being illustrated in clampingengagement with a gunnel of a boat, with the mounting disposition beingillustrated in phantom;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and illustrating a still furthermodified mounting means; and

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 6-6 of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the fishing rod holder generallydesignated 10 includes a generally tubular cylindrical body portion 11having a mounting plate 12 secured to the base thereof. A coupling ball13 is secured to the plate 12, as is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. A capscrew 15 is utilized to secure ball 13 to plate 12.

As is apparent in the drawings, tube element 11 has an open top 11a,with the bottom being closed due to the provision of the locking meanssecured therein. The details of the locking means will be disclosedhereinbelow.

As is apparent in FIGS. 2 and 6, the ball 13 is secured to a hollow ballreceiving socket formed in the base of tube 11. The base is cut away asat 14 'to form a pair of bifurcation legs or ears 14a and 14b at thebase of tube 11. The lower portion of the tube 11 is rolled inwardly asillustrated in FIG. 2 in order to complete'the formation of the ballreceiving socket.

Clamping means are provided to retain the ball and socket in lockeddisposition, with these clamping means comprising a generallydiametrically arranged screw 17 having a head portion 18 at one endthereof and being threaded at the free end thereof. A locking nut 19 isprovided having a radially extending gripping member 20 to assist in theclamping. A pair of mating clamping members are formed toengage theupper beveled surface of block 16, by means of the beveled portionformed in head 18, along with the beveled portion formed in cylindricalsleeve member 21. These beveled portions, as shown at 18a and 21a engagemating surfaces of compression block 16, and are accordingly utilized toforce block 16 against ball 13 so as to form a secured clampedstructure. I

In order to prevent unintentional disassembly of the nut 19 from screw17, the free end portion of the screw 17 is provided with washer 22,which is held in place by staking the end of screwl7 as shown at 23. Itwill be appreciated that other suitable mechanisms may be employed toretain the arrangement in desired disposition.

As is apparent in the illustration of FIG. 2, ball 13 is provided with apost portion which terminates in mounting base 26. Mounting base 26 isreceived within the cylindrical depression 27 formed in mounting plate12. In order to secure plate 12 in desired disposition, a plurality ofholes are formed as at 25-25 for receiving suitable mounting orretaining screws, as is apparent in the illustration of FIGS. 1 and 2.In order to prevent relative rotation between the ball 13 and themounting plate 12, an extension or protrusion pin 28 is provided on base26, pin 28 being, of course, eccentrically positioned.

It will be appreciated that a variety of individual mounting members maybe utilized, with certain of these being illustrated at FIGS. 4 and 5.In FIG.4, the mount is in the form of a U-shaped shackle member 30having a bore formed therein to receive threaded screw 31 having a footmember 32 which is utilized to engage a generally vertically disposedstationary object such as a boat gunnel or the like. Knurled'knob 33 isprovided at the free end of the screw 31, as indicated. The arrangement,when clamped to a boat gunnel, is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4.

A still further modified form of mount is shown in FIG. 5, wherein meansare provided for securing the element to an oarlock or the like. Screw40 has a flared distal end portion 41 having tapered surfaces 42arranged to engage the base of the oarlock or other sleeve-shaped mount.Knurled nut 43 is provided, to

clampingly engage the structure in place on a stationary mounting sleevesuch as an oarlock. Radially extending ears 44 may be provided toincrease the amount of torque available to secure the unit in place.

In operation, therefore, the mounted rod holder is adjusted by merelyrelieving the forces urging beveled surfaces 18a and 210 against themating surfaces of compression block 16. The tubular member 11 may thenbe moved to a desired disposition, whereupon member 19 is utilized toforce beveled sleeve 21 toward head 18, thereby urging or forcing block16 into firm engagement with ball 13. The concave coupling ballreceiving opening centrally formed in the surface of block 16 providesthe force necessary to hold compression block 16 against ball 13. Inthis disposition, therefore, the rod holder is capable of immediate use.

We claim:

1. Fishing rod holder means comprising:

a. a tubular body member having a closed bottom and an open top; b.mounting means at the base of said tube having a mounting surface at thelower end and a coupling ball at the upper end thereof and means forpreventing relative rotation between said ball and said mounting means;

c. base coupling means for securing said tube to the mounting means andincluding sleeve extension for said tube with a hollow ball receivingsocket being provided at the lower end 'of said extension, and with saidbase being cut away to form a ball engaging bifurcation with the distalends thereof having radial portions extending arcuately inwardly to forma span less in diameter of said ball;

d. clamping means cooperatively arranged with said ball and socket andcomprising a generally diametrically arranged screw having a head at oneend thereof and extending through the wall of said sleeve and with thefree end extending outwardly of the wall of said sleeve, and a threadedclamping nut means engaging said screw;

e. a compression block disposed between said ball and said clampingmeans and having a generally concave coupling ball receiving openingcentrally formed into one surface thereof and a pair of bevels formedalong opposite edges of the opposite major surface of said block; and

f. a pair of relatively movable clamping members operatively mounted onsaid screw and each having flat beveled portions mating with the bevelededges of said block and arranged to be forced against said block bevelededges to urge said block toward said ball and in clamped relationshiptherewith.

2. The fishing rod holder as defined in claim 1 being particularlycharacterized in that said pair of relatively movable clamping membersincludes the head portion of said screw.

3. The fishing rod holder means as defined in claim mounted about saidclamping screw.

I. I III

1. Fishing rod holder means comprising: a. a tubular body member having a closed bottom and an open top; b. mounting means at the base of said tube having a mounting surface at the lower end and a coupling ball at the upper end thereof and means for preventing relative rotation between said ball and said mounting means; c. base coupling means for securing said tube to the mounting means and including sleeve extension for said tube with a hollow ball receiving socket being provided at the lower end of said extension, and with said base being cut away to form a ball engaging bifurcation with the distal ends thereof having radial portions extending arcuately inwardly to form a span less in diameter of said ball; d. clamping means cooperatively arranged with said ball and socket and comprising a generally diametrically arranged screw having a head at one end thereof and extending through the wall of said sleeve and with the free end extending outwardly of the wall of said sleeve, and a threaded clamping nut means engaging said screw; e. a compression block disposed between said ball and said clamping means and having a generally concave coupling ball receiving opening centrally formed into one surface thereof and a pair of bevels formed along opposite edges of the opposite major surface of said block; and f. a pair of relatively movable clamping members operatively mounted on said screw and each having flat beveled portions mating with the beveled edges of said block and arranged to be forced against said block beveled edges to urge said block toward said ball and in clamped relationship therewith.
 2. The fishing rod holder as defined in claim 1 being particularly characterized in that said pair of relatively movable clamping members includes the head portion of said screw.
 3. The fishing rod holder means as defined in claim 2 being particularly characterized in that one of said relatively movable clamping members is a sleeve mounted about said clamping screw. 